Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AG
(AEG; ) was a German producer of
electrical equipment founded in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
as the ''Deutsche Edison-Gesellschaft für angewandte Elektricität'' in 1883 by
Emil Rathenau
Emil Moritz Rathenau (11 December 1838 – 20 June 1915) was a German entrepreneur, industrialist, mechanical engineer. He was a leading figure in the early European electrical industry.
Early life
Rathenau was born in Berlin, into a w ...
. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, AEG worked with the Nazi Party and benefited from forced labour from concentration camps.
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, its headquarters moved to
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
.
In 1967, AEG joined with its subsidiary
Telefunken AG, creating ''Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AEG-Telefunken''. In 1985,
Daimler-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufactur ...
purchased the ''AEG-Telefunken Aktiengesellschaft'' (which was renamed to ''AEG Aktiengesellschaft'') and wholly integrated the company in 1996 into Daimler-Benz AG (1998:
DaimlerChrysler
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacture ...
). The remains of AEG became part of
Adtranz (later
Bombardier Transportation) and
Deutsche Aerospace
''Dasa'' ( sa, दास, Dāsa) is a Sanskrit word found in ancient Indian texts such as the ''Rigveda'' and ''Arthasastra''. It usually means "enemy" or "servant" but ''dasa'', or ''das'', also means a "servant of God", "devotee," " votary" or " ...
(1998: DASA, today part of
Airbus SE
Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...
).
After acquiring the AEG household subsidiary AEG Hausgeräte GmbH in 1994,
Electrolux
Electrolux AB () is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. It is consistently ranked the world's second largest appliance maker by units sold, after Whirlpool.
Electrolux products sell under a variety ...
obtained the rights to the AEG brand name in 2005, which it now uses on some of its products. The AEG name is also licensed to various brand partners under the Electrolux Global Brand Licensing program.
History
Summary
In 1883, Emil Rathenau founded ''Deutsche Edison-Gesellschaft für angewandte Elektricität'' in Berlin. In 1888 it was renamed ''Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft''. Initially producing electrical equipment (such as light bulbs, motors and generators), the company soon became involved in AC electric transmission systems. In 1907,
Peter Behrens
Peter Behrens (14 April 1868 – 27 February 1940) was a leading German architect, graphic and industrial designer, best known for his early pioneering AEG Turbine Hall in Berlin in 1909. He had a long career, designing objects, typefaces, and ...
was appointed as artistic consultant to AEG. This led to the creation of the company's initial
corporate identity
A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner in which a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public (such as customers and investors as well as employees). The corporate identity is typically visualized by ...
, with products and advertising sharing common design features.
The company expanded in the first half of the 20th century, and it is credited with a number of firsts and inventions in electrical engineering. During the same period, it entered the automobile and airplane markets. Electrical equipment for railways was produced during this time, beginning a long history of supplying the German railways with electrical equipment. According to the 1930 ''
Encyclopedia Britannica
An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articl ...
'': "Prior to 1923 it was the largest electrical manufacturing concern in Germany and one of the most important industrial undertakings in the world."
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, AEG joined with other large companies such as
IG Farben,
Thyssen and
Krupp in their support of the Nazis. The company benefited from the use of large numbers of forced labourers as well as concentration camp prisoners, under inhuman conditions of work.
After WWII, the company lost its businesses in the eastern part of Germany. After a merger in 1967, the company was renamed ''Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AEG-
Telefunken
Telefunken was a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the ''Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft'' (AEG) ('General electricity company').
The name "Telefunken" ap ...
'' (from 1979 on only ''AEG-Telefunken''). The company experienced financial difficulties during the 1970s, resulting in the sale of some assets. In 1983, the consumer electronics division ''Telefunken Fernseh und Rundfunk GmbH'' was sold. In 1985, the company re-took the name AEG and the remainder of the company was acquired by
Daimler-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufactur ...
; the parts that remained were primarily related to electric power distribution and electric motor technology. Under Daimler-Benz ownership, the former AEG companies eventually became part of the newly named
Adtranz in 1995, and the AEG name was no longer used.
Electrolux
Electrolux AB () is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. It is consistently ranked the world's second largest appliance maker by units sold, after Whirlpool.
Electrolux products sell under a variety ...
, which had already acquired the household subsidiary AEG Hausgeräte GmbH in 1994, now own the rights to use and license the AEG brand.
Foundation to 1940
![Lauffen-Frankfurt 1891a](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Lauffen-Frankfurt_1891a.jpg)
The company originated in 1882, when
Emil Rathenau
Emil Moritz Rathenau (11 December 1838 – 20 June 1915) was a German entrepreneur, industrialist, mechanical engineer. He was a leading figure in the early European electrical industry.
Early life
Rathenau was born in Berlin, into a w ...
acquired licences to use some of
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...
's lamp patents in Germany.
[Timeline 1882] The Deutsche Edison Gesellschaft ("German Edison Company") was founded in 1883 with the financial backing of banks and private individuals, with Emil Rathenau as company director.
[Timeline 1883]
![Bundesarchiv Bild 102-10648, Entwurf eines Kraftwerks für Süd-Russland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-10648%2C_Entwurf_eines_Kraftwerks_f%C3%BCr_S%C3%BCd-Russland.jpg)
In 1884, Munich-born engineer
Oskar von Miller
Oskar von Miller (7 May 1855 – 9 April 1934) was a German engineer and founder of the Deutsches Museum, a large museum of technology and science in Munich.
Biography
Born in Munich into an Upper Bavarian family from Aichach, he was the son of ...
(who later founded
Deutsches Museum
The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science and technology, with about 28,000 exhibited objects from ...
) joined the executive board. The same year, the company entered negotiations with the Berlin ''Magistrat'' (the municipal body) to supply a large area from a central supply, which resulted in the formation of the ''Städtischen Elektrizitätswerke'' (A.G.StEW) ("City electricity works company (Berlin)") on 8 May 1884.
[Timeline 1884]
The original factory was located near
Stettiner Bahnhof. In 1887 the company acquired land in the
Berlin-Gesundbrunnen
Gesundbrunnen (, literally "health springs"; colloquially ''Plumpe'', "pump") is a locality (''Ortsteil'') of Berlin in the borough (''Bezirk'') of Mitte. It was created as a separate entity by the 2001 administrative reform, formerly the easter ...
area on which the ''Weddingsche Maschinenfabrik'' (founded by
Wilhelm Wedding) was previously located. In the same year, in addition to a restructuring and expansion of the production range, the AEG name was adopted.
[Timeline 1885–1887]
In 1887
Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrowolsky joined the company as chief engineer, later becoming vice-director. His work on polyphase electric power led him to become the world's leading engineer in three-phase electric power systems at the end of the 1880s.
[Timeline 1888–1889]
In 1891 Miller and Dobrovolski demonstrated the transmission of electrical power over a distance of from a hydro electric power plant in
Lauffen am Neckar
Lauffen am Neckar () or simply Lauffen is a town in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is on the river Neckar, southwest of Heilbronn. The town is famous as the birthplace of the poet Friedrich Hölderlin and for its qu ...
to
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
, where it lit 1000 light bulbs and drove an
artificial waterfall
An artificial waterfall is a water feature or fountain which imitates a natural waterfall.
Artificial waterfalls have long been featured in traditional Japanese gardens, where they can serve to highlight a scene or to provide focus. The classic ...
at the
International Electrotechnical Exhibition
The 1891 International Electrotechnical Exhibition was held between 16 May and 19 October on the disused site of the three former ( Western Railway Stations) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The exhibition featured the first long-distance tra ...
in
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. This success marked one of beginnings of the general use of alternating current for electrification in Germany, and showed that distance transmission of electric power could be economically useful. In the same year the ''Stadtbahn Halle/Saale'' (City railway Halle–Saale) opened, the first electric tram system (of notable size) in Germany
[Timeline 1890–1891]
Tropp Paul
Opava (; german: Troppau, pl, Opawa) is a city in the Moravian-Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 55,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Opava. Opava is one of the historical centres of Silesia. It was a historical capital of ...
began his work for the AEG 1889/90 until 1893, and
Franz Schwechten
Franz Heinrich Schwechten (12 August 1841 – 11 August 1924) was one of the most famous German architects of the Wilhelmine era, and contributed to the development of historicist architecture.
Life
Schwechten was born in Cologne, the son of a ...
designed the facades of the ''Acker- und Hussitenstraße'' in 1894–95.
In 1894 the site of the former ''Berlin Viehmarktgasse'' (cattle market alley) was purchased. This had a railroad siding connecting to the Berlin rail network, but there was no rail connection between the two plants. In 1895 an underground railway link between the two plots was built in a tunnel 270 meters long. The tunnel was built by Siemens & Halske (S & H) (later to become
Siemens) under the direction of
C. Schwebel and
Wilhelm Lauter who were also connected in the building of what is now the
Spree tunnel Stralau used by the U-Bahn.
By 1889 AEG were known as specialists in the construction of industrial portable drilling machines, some of these were driven by flexible shafts from electric motors. AEG also developed a toothed belt drive to reduce motor speed down to that required by machine tools.
In 1903 the competing radio companies AEG and ''Siemens & Halske'' merged, forming a joint subsidiary named
Telefunken
Telefunken was a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the ''Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft'' (AEG) ('General electricity company').
The name "Telefunken" ap ...
.
[Timeline 1903]
In 1907 architect
Peter Behrens
Peter Behrens (14 April 1868 – 27 February 1940) was a leading German architect, graphic and industrial designer, best known for his early pioneering AEG Turbine Hall in Berlin in 1909. He had a long career, designing objects, typefaces, and ...
became an artistic adviser.
[Timeline 1904–1907] Responsible for the design of all products, advertising and architecture, he has since become considered as the world's first corporate designer. Behren's philosophy was to create a building which is solid, strong and simple in its structure. It is perfect for doing its job of producing large, heavy machinery. The dimensions of the building were chosen to allow turbines to be transported above other machinery.
In the 1920s AEG became a global supplier of electrical know-how and equipment. In 1923, for example, it provided most of the essential materials and a team of engineers to oversee the electrification of British-ruled Palestine. British firms, at the time, could not compete with the prices of AEG
![Berlin AEG Turbinenfabrik Front](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Berlin_AEG_Turbinenfabrik_Front.jpg)
The activity of the company soon extended to all areas of electrical power engineering, including electric lighting, electric power, electric railways, electro-chemical plants, as well as the construction of steam turbines, automobiles, cables and cable materials. In the first decades, the company had many factories in and around Berlin:
*''Maschinenfabrik Brunnenstrasse'' (
steam turbines,
dynamo
"Dynamo Electric Machine" (end view, partly section, )
A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator. Dynamos were the first electrical generators capable of delivering power for industry, and the foundati ...
s,
electric motor
An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
s)
*''Apparatewerk Ackerstrasse'' (
carbon-filament and metal thread light bulbs,
Nernst lamp
The Nernst lamp was an early form of incandescent lamp.
Construction
Nernst lamps did not use a glowing tungsten filament. Instead, they used a ceramic rod that was heated to incandescence. Because the rod (unlike tungsten wire) would not ...
s,
switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
es,
fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
s,
resistors, electrical measuring equipment, dynamos, electric motors)
*''Kabelwerk Oberspree'' (KWO, cables, copper and metal works, rubber fabrication, insulator fabrication)
*''Transformatorenwerk Oberspree'' (TRO,
transformer
A transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer' ...
s)
*''Glühlampenfabrik Moabit'' (1907–1912, carbon-filament and metal thread light bulbs, Nernst lamps,
Vacuum tube
A vacuum tube, electron tube, valve (British usage), or tube (North America), is a device that controls electric current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which an electric potential difference has been applied.
The type known as ...
s) — later became part of
Osram, from 1939 on Telefunken
*''
Turbinenfabrik'' (1909,
steam turbines) — famous as an example of industrial architecture
*''Apparate-Werke Treptow '' (AT - 1926,
arc lamps, switches, fuses, controls,
starters, electrical measuring equipment)
A number of other notable events involving AEG occurred in this period:
*1900: Invention of the hairdryer.
*1901: The
Neue Automobil Gesellschaft
The Neue Automobil-Gesellschaft (NAG), or Nationale Automobil-Gesellschaft after it changed its name in 1915, was a German automobile manufacturer in Berlin."
In 1902, German electrical company AEG purchased the coachbuilding branch of Kühlstei ...
("New Automotive Company") became part of AEG through the takeover of ''Allgemeine Automobil-Gesellschaft''
[Timeline 1900–1901]
*27 October 1903: An AEG-equipped
experimental three-phase railcar achieved a speed of on the test track of the ''Königlich Preußische Militär-Eisenbahn'' (
Royal Prussian Military Railway
The Royal Prussian Military Railway (German: ''Königlich Preußische Militär-Eisenbahn''), also called the ''Königliche Militär-Eisenbahn'' (Royal Military Railway, KME), was a Prussian state railway, operated by the army, between Schöneberg ...
) between
Marienfelde
Marienfelde () is a locality in southwest Berlin, Germany, part of the Tempelhof-Schöneberg borough. The former village, incorporated according to the Greater Berlin Act of 1920, today is a mixed industrial and residential area.
Geography
The ...
and
Zossen
Zossen (; hsb, Sosny) is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, about south of Berlin, and next to the Bundesstraße 96, B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 200 ...
. This world speed record for rail vehicles was held until 1931.
*1904: Merger of AEG with the ''Union-Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft'' (UEG) (literal: Union-electricity Company)
*1910: Factory
Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf () is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.
History
The municipality shared its borders with the form ...
. Entry into the aircraft building market.
[Timeline 1910–1911]
*1929: AEG produced its first compressor-driven refrigerators and temperature controlled irons.
[Timeline 1926–1930]
*1933: AEG joined other large manufacturing companies to support
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
*1935: Presentation of the world's first tape device
Magnetophon K1 based on work by
Eduard Schüller
Eduard Model Accessories is a Czech manufacturer of plastic models and finescale model accessories.
Formed in 1989 in the city of Most, Eduard began in a rented cellar as a manufacturer of photoetched brass model components. Following the succ ...
at the
Berlin Radio Show
The IFA ( ) or Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (International radio exhibition Berlin, a.k.a. 'Berlin Radio Show') is one of the oldest industrial exhibitions in Germany. Between 1924 and 1939 it was an annual event, but from 1950 it was ...
[Timeline 1931–1935]
*1941: AEG bought Siemens & Halske shares in
Telefunken
Telefunken was a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the ''Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft'' (AEG) ('General electricity company').
The name "Telefunken" ap ...
and the company became a subsidiary.
On 20 June 1915, founder Emil Rathenau died at age 77.
[Timeline 1915–1916]
The Nazi era and World War II
![Berlin GTafel Zwangsarbeiter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Berlin_GTafel_Zwangsarbeiter.jpg)
AEG donated 60,000 Reichsmarks to the Nazi party after the
Secret Meeting of 20 February 1933 at which the twin goals of complete power and national rearmament were explained by Hitler. They joined with other large companies such as
IG Farben,
Thyssen and
Krupp in their support of the Nazis, especially in promoting re-armament of the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
,
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
, and
Kriegsmarine. During the war itself, they were to use large numbers of
forced labourers as well as
concentration camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...
prisoners, under inhuman conditions of work.
[''The Mazal Library'']
NMT, Volume VII, pp. 557
(Document D-203 pages 557–562)
AEG worked extensively with the
Nazi party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
in Poland. AEG was forced to relinquish Kabelwerk Krakow, a cable manufacturing plant, to the
Nazi party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
. Kabelwerk Krakow was located in
Krakow-Plaszow and used forced Jewish labor manufacturing cables from 1942 to 1944. In 1943, AEG began to relocate goods and evacuate workers. Goods were relocated to various places, including
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
and
Sudetenland. When installing electric and lighting systems for the
Waffen-SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...
training grounds in
Dębica, AEG used forced labor from Jews placed in the
Pustkow labor camp located in Southeastern Poland.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, an AEG factory near
Riga used female
slave labour
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. AEG were also contracted for the production of electrical equipment at
Auschwitz concentration camp.
AEG used slave labour from Camp No. 36 at the new sub-camp of
Auschwitz III
Monowitz (also known as Monowitz-Buna, Buna and Auschwitz III) was a Nazi concentration camp and labor camp (''Arbeitslager'') run by Nazi Germany in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), occupied Poland from 1942–1945, during World War II and t ...
and also known as
Monowitz
Monowitz (also known as Monowitz-Buna, Buna and Auschwitz III) was a Nazi concentration camp and labor camp (''Arbeitslager'') run by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland from 1942–1945, during World War II and the Holocaust. For most of its exis ...
, called "Arbeitslager
Blechhammer
The Blechhammer ( en, sheet metal hammer) area was the location of Nazi Germany chemical plants, prisoner of war (POW) camps, and forced labor camps (german: Arbeitslager Blechhammer; also Nummernbücher). Labor camp prisoners began arriving as ...
". Most of them would die in 1945 during the
death march
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way. It is distinguished in this way from simple prisoner transport via foot march. Article 19 of the Geneva Conven ...
es and finally in
Buchenwald
Buchenwald (; literally 'beech forest') was a Nazi concentration camp established on hill near Weimar, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within Germany's 1937 borders. Many actual or sus ...
.
AEG was a major supplier of grips found on World War II
P38 pistols manufactured by
Walther Arms
Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen (), or simply known as Walther, is a German firearm manufacturer, and a subsidiary of the PW Group. Founded by Carl Walther in 1886, the company has manufactured firearms and air guns at its facility in Germany fo ...
,
Mauser, as well as on the early wartime
Spreewerk Metallwarenfabrik Spreewerk GmbH was a German weapons manufacturing company. Spreewerk produced a number of important weapons and components before and during World War II including 280,880 of the Walther P.38 pistol which was the standard service ...
P38s.
In an effort to express regret for their use of Jewish slave labor in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, AEG joined with
Rheinmetall,
Siemens,
Krupp, and
I G Farben to pay
DEM
DEM was the ISO 4217 currency code for the Deutsche Mark, former currency of Germany
Computing
* Digital elevation model, a digital representation of ground-surface topography or terrain
** .dem, a common extension for USGS DEM files
* Discret ...
75 million in reparations to the
Jewish Claims Conference.
1945 to 1970
In 1945, after the Second World War, the production in the factories in the western sectors of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
- what today is the building of the headquarters of DW (TV)Deutsche Welle - and
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
,
Stuttgart and
Mulheim an der Ruhr resumed and further new works were erected, among others an
Electric meter
North American domestic analog electricity meter.
Electricity meter with transparent plastic case (Israel)
North American domestic electronic electricity meter
An electricity meter, electric meter, electrical meter, energy meter, or kilowa ...
plant in
Hameln.
The steam and electric locomotive plant in
Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf () is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.
History
The municipality shared its borders with the form ...
(''Fabriken Hennigsdorf'') became a ''
Volkseigener Betrieb
The Publicly Owned Enterprise (german: Volkseigener Betrieb; abbreviated VEB) was the main legal form of industrial enterprise in East Germany. They were all publicly owned and were formed after mass nationalisation between 1945 and the early 1960 ...
'' (VEB) (people owned enterprise) as the ''
Lokomotivbau Elektrotechnische Werke'' (LEW) ("electric locomotive works"). The cable plant (''Draht-, Kabel- und Metallwerk Oberspree'') and apparatus factory (''Apparatefabrik Treptow'') and other facilities also lay in East Germany and became ''
Sowjetische Aktiengesellschaft'' (SAG) (Soviet joint stock companies). Over 90% of assets in Berlin lay in the Russian occupied zone and were lost.
[Firmengeschichte der AEG 1941/50 ](_blank)
History of AEG 1941–1950 (more details of post war losses and problems) ''gerflaig.de''
The headquarters for the non-expropriated parts of the company was moved first to Hamburg and then finally to
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, the headquarters in Berlin having been destroyed.
*1948: The AEG factories Kassel (FK) were founded on the site of the former MWK
Motorenbau Werk Kassel
During World War II, the Motorenbau Werk Kassel (Engine Construction Factory Kassel – MWK) in Kassel was a branch factory of the Junkers Flugzeug- und Motorenwerke AG Dessau and supplier for strategic military technology among other things the ...
at Lilienthalstrasse 150 in
Kassel/
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Dar ...
/
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The first factory part was the high voltage switchgear factory (HSF), later the refrigerator factory (KSF), the ticketprinter factory (FDF), the isolating material factory (IF) as well as the worldwide accepted high voltage institute (HI)were founded. In the early sixties more than 5000 people worked for AEG in Kassel. Today, the site Lilienthalstrasse still produces high voltage switchgear.
*1950: The new corporate headquarters is at the ''Friedensbrücke'' (Peace Bridge) in Frankfurt / Main. The number of employees in the Group rose from 20,900 in September 1948 to 55,400 persons in September 1957. In the same year the turnover exceeded one billion DM for the first time, however the high level of investment in the rebuilding of the company (1948 to 1956 over 500 million DM) placed a considerable strain on the balance sheet.
*1958: The slogan "Aus Erfahrung Gut" (benefit from experience) is introduced to explain the company name and acronym, leading to unflattering parodies such as "Auspacken, Einschalten, Geht nicht" (unpack, switch on, does not work) or "Alles Ein Gammel" (everything is '
gammy').
*1962: The Group has 127,000 employees and generates annual sales of 3.1 billion DM. In
Springe
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.
Town structure
* Springe (core settlement, seat of the mayor), population 13,184
* Bennigsen, population 4, ...
a new factory is opened in February 1962 a new factory for the production of fluid control units with 200 employees.
*1962:
Walter Bruch
Walter Bruch (2 March 1908 – 5 May 1990) was a German electrical engineer and pioneer of German television. He was the inventor of Closed-circuit television. He invented the PAL colour television system at Telefunken in the early 1960s. In add ...
at Telefunken in Hannover develops PAL color television.
*1966: The largest industrial space in Europe is created (175 m long, 45 m wide and 26 m high) for the construction using cranes of engines and generators with weights up to 400 tonnes. Robert F. Kennedy attends the opening.
*1 January 1967: Merger with Telefunken creates AEG-Telefunken, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main.
1970s onwards
![Typenschild-Doppelt gespeiste Asynchronmaschine Apel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Typenschild-Doppelt_gespeiste_Asynchronmaschine_Apel.jpg)
In 1970, AEG-Telefunken had 178,000 employees worldwide, and was the 12th largest electrical company in the world. The company was burdened by, among other things, unsuccessful projects such as an automated baggage conveyor system at Frankfurt Airport and nuclear powerplant construction. In particular, the nuclear power plant at Würgassen, the commissioning of which was delayed by several years due to technical problems cost AEG hundreds of millions of DM. As a result, the company paid its last dividend in 1972.
The entertainment arm (''Telefunken Fernseh und Rundfunk GmbH'') headquartered in Hanover was sold. This was followed by the computer mainframe business (Telefunken TR 4, TR 4, Telefunken TR 10, TR 10, ) (a partnership under the name Telefunken Computer GmbH with the company Nixdorf Computer AG, Nixdorf) was sold to
Siemens. The process computer (Telefunken TR 84, TR 84, Telefunken TR 86, TR 86, AEG 60–10, AEG 80–20, AEG 80–60) continued as ''Geschäftsbereich Automatisierungstechnik'' (after 1980 as ATM Computer GmbH).
In 1975 the former Telefunken Headquarter at Berlin-Charlottenburg, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 7 was sold. The building had been previously rented to the Technical University of Berlin
In 1976, to circumvent the requirement of equal participation of employees in the supervisory board, Dr. Walter Cipa (Dipl.-Geol.) (AEG boss from 1976 to 1980) created four further companies as wholly owned joint stock companies in addition to the two household appliance companies. (The numbers in parentheses refer to percentage of turnover in 1980)
:AEG-Telefunken Anlagentechnik AG (37%)
:AEG-Telefunken Serienprodukte AG (16%)
:AEG-Telefunken Kommunikationstechnik AG (6%)
:Olympia-Werke, Olympia-Werke AG (business office technology, 7%)
:AEG-Hausgeräte GmbH (22%)
:Telefunken Fernseh und Rundfunk GmbH (12%)
In 1979 ''Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AEG-Telefunken'' was renamed ''AEG-Telefunken AG'' by dropping the supplement "Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft", used since 1887. For reasons of European Union, the corporate form AG (Aktiengesellschaft) had to be added. In February 1980, Heinz Dürr became board Chairman (until 1990).
In August 1982 a restructuring plan, backed with federal guarantees of 600 million DM and new bank loans of 275 million DM, fell apart at the first disagreement between the banks. A banking consortium provided an administrative loan of DM 1.1 billion to the AEG Group until June 1983; 400 million of which only to be available on a guarantee by the federal government. Not only was AEG-Telefunken AG affected, but also its subsidiaries ''Küppersbusch AG'' in Gelsenkirchen, ''Hermann Zanker Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG'' in Tübingen and ''Carl Neff GmbH'' in Bretten.
The ''Alno-Möbelwerke GmbH & Co. KG'' in Pfullendorf was taken over by the minority shareholders, and separated from the group.
The suppliers to AEG were affected and some filed for bankruptcy—including ''Becher & Co. Möbelfabriken KG'' in Bühlertann—with lack of continuity of company policy a factor. The site at Brunnenstraße in the former Berlin district of Wedding was also sold, as were the firms ''AEG-Fabrik Essen'' and ''Bauknecht''.
*1983/84: the consumer electronics division (Telefunken television and broadcasting GmbH) was sold to the French group Thomson SA, Thomson-Brandt.
*1985: AEG was taken over by Daimler-Benz AG. Daimler-Benz executive Edzard Reuter (from 1987 Daimler CEO), decides two companies should form an "integrated technology group" with beneficial synergy.
*1988: On its 60th anniversary the ''AEG-Forschungsinstituts'' (AEG Research Institute) creates the Carl-Ramsauer Prize for scientific/technical dissertations.
*1990: AEG Westinghouse Transportation Systems GmbH is formed in association with Westinghouse Electric (1886), Westinghouse Transportation Systems Inc.
*1992: Merger (or re-uniting) of the railway business with the ''
Lokomotivbau Elektrotechnische Werke'' (LEW) in
Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf () is a town in the district of Oberhavel, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated north-west of Berlin, just across the city border, which is formed mainly by the Havel river.
History
The municipality shared its borders with the form ...
, resulting in the formation of ''AEG Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH'' (AEG locomotives)
*1992: The Swedish company Atlas Copco acquires AEG Power Tools Ltd; divested in 2004 to Techtronic Industries.
*1994: sale of the Automation division to Schneider Electric and of ''AEG Hausgeräte AG'' to
Electrolux
Electrolux AB () is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. It is consistently ranked the world's second largest appliance maker by units sold, after Whirlpool.
Electrolux products sell under a variety ...
.
*1995: ''AEG Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH'' becomes part of Adtranz, ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation (Adtranz) (subsequently becoming part of
Bombardier Transportation in 2001).
*1996: The Annual General Meeting of Daimler-Benz AG chaired by Juergen Schrempp decides upon the dissolution of the lossmaking group.
*1996: GEC ALSTHOM acquires AEG Power T&D business
*September 1996: The company is deleted from the commercial register.
Products
Locomotives and railway technology
![Image-E 60 010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Image-E_60_010.jpg)
AEG played an important role in the history of the German railways; the company was involved on the development and manufacture of the electrical parts of almost all German electric locomotive series and contributed to the introduction of electrical power in German railways.
Additionally many steam locomotives were made in AEG factories. In 1931 the company acquired Borsig and transferred the locomotive production to the Borsig Lokomotiv Werke (AEG), AEG-Borsig works (''Borsig Lokomotiv-Werke GmbH'') from the Borsig plant in Tegel. In 1948 the plant became Volkseigener Betrieb, VEB ''Lokomotivbau Elektrotechnische Werke''. In addition to numerous electric locomotives produced for the Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany), DR steam locomotive production continued until 1954.
When the Federal Republic of Germany began implementing AC propulsion systems AEG found itself in competition with Brown, Boveri & Cie. The prototype DB Class E320 was built with
Krupp as dual voltage (15 kV and 25 kV AC) test machine, the technology ultimately leading to locomotives such as DB Class 120 and ICE 1.
Only after German reunification and the adoption of the LEW plant in Hennigsdorf did AEG's name return to whole locomotive manufacturing, but only for a short time. "AEG locomotives GmbH " became part of Adtranz, ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation (later ADtranz) and currently the technology developed in the past, in part, now enables
Bombardier Transportation to build the very successful TRAXX series of locomotives.
AEG also built the Hellenic Railways TRAINOSE Class :el:Αυτοκινητάμαξα σειράς 520 ΟΣΕ (AEG DE IC-2000N), 520DMUs between 1989/1990/1991 and 1994/1995/1996.
Aircraft
![AEG GIV bomber](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/AEG_GIV_bomber.jpg)
AEG manufactured a range of aircraft from 1912 to 1918. The first aircraft in 1912 was of wooden construction and modeled after the biplane of the Wright brothers. It had a wingspan of ; was powered by an eight-cylinder engine producing 75 hp; unloaded weight was 850 kg; and could attain a speed of . From 1912, the construction of airplanes proceeded in mixed wood and steel tube construction with fabric covering.
One of the planes designed and built was ''Riesenflugzeug'' ("giant aircraft") AEG R.I. This aircraft was powered by four Mercedes D.IVa engines linked to a combination leather cone and dog clutch. The first flight tests were satisfactory, but on 3 September 1918, the R.I broke up in the air killing its seven crewmen.
The most successful in terms of production figures of all the AEG aircraft designs was that of the AEG G.IV, G.IV ''Grossflugzeuge'' ("large aircraft") heavy tactical bomber, of which one still survives of the 320 built, as the sole surviving World War One German multi-engine bomber.
During the Second World War AEG produced machines for reconnaissance purposes, including a helicopter platform driven by an AC motor. This was a tethered craft that could not fly freely; the power supply was carried by three cables from the ground. The machine reached an altitude of 300 m.
Cars
AEG bought Kühlstein in 1902, founding the division ''
Neue Automobil Gesellschaft
The Neue Automobil-Gesellschaft (NAG), or Nationale Automobil-Gesellschaft after it changed its name in 1915, was a German automobile manufacturer in Berlin."
In 1902, German electrical company AEG purchased the coachbuilding branch of Kühlstei ...
'' (New Automobile Company), to make automobile, cars. AEG withdrew from car production in 1908.
Models produced include:
*AAG (1900 automobile)
*NAG Typ A
*NAG Typ B
*NAG Typ B2
Film projectors
AEG also produced for a long period a series of Movie projector, film projectors:
* Stillstandsmaschine 1919 Projektor 35 mm
* Theatermaschine 1920 Projektor 35 mm
* Triumphator I–III 1924–1935 Projektor 35 mm ACR 0710
* Successor (Lehrmeister) 1925–1935 Projektor 35 mm
* Kofferkino 1927 encased Projektor 35 mm
* Lehrmeister 1929 Projektor 35 mm ACR 0709 (Leitz)
* Mechau Modell 4 1929 – 1934 Projektor 35 mm
* Euro K 1938–42 Projektor 35 mm
* Euro M 1936 Projektor 35 mm
* Euro G 1938 Projektor 35 mm, Interlock-Version (G-MB)
* Euro M2 1939–1944 Projektor 35 mm
Leadership
The AEG brand today
As a result of the breakup and dissolution of the original company,
Electrolux
Electrolux AB () is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. It is consistently ranked the world's second largest appliance maker by units sold, after Whirlpool.
Electrolux products sell under a variety ...
acquired the brand rights in 2005 and the name is also licensed to various companies: Currently the brand is being actively promoted by Electrolux; it includes many of the same products that it formerly manufactured, such as power solutions energy devices, telecommunication devices (phones and mobile phones), automation, car accessories, home appliances, power tools, projectors, printing equipment and supplies, water treatment devices, and personal care devices under the AEG brand.
*AEG Hausgeräte - became part of
Electrolux
Electrolux AB () is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm. It is consistently ranked the world's second largest appliance maker by units sold, after Whirlpool.
Electrolux products sell under a variety ...
, produces white goods such as washing machines, dishwashers, ovens, fridges etc.
*ITM Technology AG produces consumer electronics and telecommunication (mobile phone, home phone etc.) equipment under the AEG name.
* Binatone manufactures mobile accessories, mobile phones, landline phones and two way radios under the AEG brand.
*AEG Elektrowerkzeuge (AEG Power Tools), licensed to Techtronic Industries (TTI) since 2009, produces hand power tools.
*AEG Haustechnik (licensed to Stiebel Eltron) produces home heating and climate control (humidifiers, airconditioners) products
*AEG Industrial engineering produces electrical power equipment, including generators up to 55MW, control gear and switchgear, electrical motors, transformers etc. as well as high power inverters and DC supplies for industrial use.
*AEG SVS Schweiss-Technik: manufacturer resistance welding machines and equipment
*AEG Gesellschaft fur moderne Informationssysteme mbH (AEG-MIS): Develops custom LCDs for information systems
*AEG ID: produces RFID tags and readers
*AEG Power Solutions (formerly Saft Power systems or AEG Power Supply Systems): produces uninterruptable/backup/stable power supply systems for electric supply sensitive equipment (e.g. computers)
*AEG Professional Printing Equipment and Supplies: Produces wide format printers, inks, and media products for printing, as well as photoconductor drums and toners for printing applications (e.g. laser printer/photocopier)
AEG Professional Printing Equipment and Supplies
''aeg-professional-printers.co.uk''
* AViTEQ Vibrationstechnik GmbH
* Lloyd Dynamowerke GmbH & Co KG
* Lafert Group
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*Gerd Flaig,
("History of AEG") Compiled by former AEG employee from AEG Telefunken archives ''gerdflaig.de''
Further reading
* Buddensieg, Tilman. ''Industriekkultur: Peter Behrens and the AEG, 1907-1914'' (1984)
* Buse, Dieter K. and Doerr, Juergen C., eds. ''Modern Germany: An Encyclopedia of History, People, and Culture, 1871-1990'' (2 vol. Garland, 1998) pp 10–11.
* Flaningam, M. L. "International Co-operation and Control in the Electrical Industry: The General Electric Company and Germany, 1919-1944." ''American Journal of Economics and Sociology ''5.1 (1945): 7-25.
* Erdmann Thiele (ed.): ''Telefunken nach 100 Jahren — Das Erbe einer deutschen Weltmarke.'' Nicolaische Verlagsbuchhandlung Berlin, 2003.
* ''Aus der Geschichte der AEG: Vor 25 Jahren: Bau der ersten AEG-Flugzeuge''. In: ''AEG-Mitteilungen.'' Jahrgang 1937, Heft 10 (Oktober), pp. 359–362.
* Peter Obst: ''Die Industrie am Humboldthain (Maschinenfabrik), AEG 1896–1984''. Innovations-Zentrum Berlin Management (IZBM) GmbH.
* S. Müller, K. Wittig, S. Hoffmann (2006): ''Empirische Befunde zum Konsumentenboykott. Der Fall AEG/Electrolux.'' Dresdner Beiträge zur Betriebswirtschaftslehre Nr. 116/06
Marketing-Verein, TU Dresden - Empirische Befunde zum Konsume
* Hans-Heinrich von Fersen: ''Autos in Deutschland 1920–1939.''
* ''50 Jahre AEG, als Manuskript gedruckt.'' Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft Abt. Presse, Berlin 1956.
* Gert Hautsch: ''Das Imperium AEG-Telefunken, ein multinationaler Konzern.'' Frankfurt/Main 1979.
* Felix Pinner: ''Emil Rathenau und das elektrische Zeitalter.'' Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Leipzig 1918.
* Harri Czepuck: ''Ein Symbol zerbricht, zur Geschichte und Politik der AEG.'' Dietz Verlag, Berlin 1983.
* Tilmann Buddensieg: ''Peter Behrens und die AEG, Neue Dokumente zur Baugeschichte der Fabriken am Humboldthain.'' In: ''Schloss Charlottenburg Berlin-Preußen.'' Deutscher Kunstverlag, München 1971.
* Peter Strunk: ''Die AEG. Aufstieg und Niedergang einer Industrielegende''. Nicolai, Berlin 2000.
* Jahresringe Verband für Vorruhestand und aktives Alter, Land Brandenburg e. V. (ed.): ''Zeitzeugnisse 1945–1990.'' Part I (1999) and II (2000).
External links
AEG-Electrolux
— company website ''aeg.de'' (in German)
AEG Design case
History of AEG logos ''goodlogo.com''
AEG — general electric company — brief history of the company, with images of old products and share certificates (German language)
Aufstieg und Fall der AEG: Nur die drei Buchstaben haben überlebt
Rise and Fall of AEG: only three letters remain. Article about history of AEG. ''heise.de''
Seidel/Dame: ''1920 – Versorgungsbauten für Groß-Berlin'' (AEG-Bauten); eine ausführliche und bebilderte Darstellung zu AEG in Berlin
Architectural history of AEG buildings. Authors : Cira López Miró, Gladys Griffault, Eric Sommerlatte, Christoph Bickenbach ''laufwerk-b.de''
AEG - A brand makes history (12 min documentation on YouTube)
*
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